Friday, May 2, 2014

May 2 - The Six Wives of Henry VIII: Part 2 - Anne Boleyn

Today’s film is a period drama with a scene that happens on May 2. I hope you will enjoy this movie and watch it tonight.

THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII: PART 2 – ANNE BOLEYN         

After the birth of the Princess Elizabeth, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn are happy for a while. However, Anne soon begins to suspect Henry is involved with other women.  Anne becomes pregnant again, she hopes with a son. Lady Rochford, the wife of Anne’s brother George, out of spite, plots with Thomas Cromwell, the Chancellor  to bring Anne down. Cromwell speaks to Henry about Anne, saying that the people blame the King for the deaths of Catherine of Aragon and Thomas More, which they think were caused by  Henry’s involvement with Anne. Anne gives birth to a stillborn son, sealing her fate, as Henry blames her for this. He begins to listen to those who accuse Anne of infidelity. Cromwell starts pressing various men under torture to admit they had sexual relations with Anne.  Anne is arrested and taken to the Tower of London on May 2, 1536. [38:56 to 41:13] Anne’s alleged lovers are convicted of treason. With her uncle, the Duke of Norfolk presiding, Anne is put on trial for treason and convicted. Henry has already selected Jane Seymour as wife number three. Cromwell and the King want Archbishop Thomas Cranmer to get Anne to agree to a divorce, but she refuses. Anne’s accused lovers are executed. Cranmer hears Anne’s last confession in which she steadfastly denies her guilt. Anne is executed by being beheaded. 

A tragic story of injustice. Anne dies because of something outside her control, the inability to have a son. A classic case of a political show trial because as Anne says the verdict was determined before her trial ever started.

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn by Alison Weir (Ballantine Books, New York, 2010) at pages 136-144 gives the date she was arrested

Director  - Naomi Capon

Producer - Mark Shivas and Ronald Travers

Awards - . The film won the Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a leading Role (Keith Michell) Emmy award. It was also nominated for the Outstanding   Drama Series, Outstanding New Series, Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a leading role in a dramatic series (Keith Michell) and the Outstanding Single Program, drama or comedy at the 24th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Screenplay - Nick McCarty 

Runtime - 1 hour 30 minutes                  

Released - January 8, 1970                         

Starring –

Keith Michell as Henry VIII of England
Dorothy Tutin as Anne Boleyn
Patrick Troughton as the Duke of Norfolk
Bernard Hepton as Archbishop Thomas Cranmer
Sheila Burrel as Lady Rochford
Michael Osborne as Mark Smeaton
Jonathan Newth as George Boleyn
Wolfe Morris as Thomas Cromwell


Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014. 



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